Lacing-hook for shoes



(No Model.)

L. P. EARL. LAOING HOOK FOR SHOES.

Patented Apr. 26, 1898.

Inventor.

Witnesses.

Attorney.

UNITED STATES PATENT @rmcn.

LEWIS F. EARL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

LACING-HOOK FOR SHOES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 602,841, dated April 26, 1898. Application filed May 12, 1897. Serial No. 636,167. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that LLEWIS F. EARL, of Philadelphia, (Oak Lane,) Philadelphia county, Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in Lacingllooks for Shoes, 850. of which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to lacing-hooks for shoes, &c.; and it consists of certain improvements, all of which are set out in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

Heretofore the practice has been to form lacing-hooks in mens shoes of a rigid structure under which the lace is drawn. It has been impracticable to use such open hooks on ladies shoes, because the hooks catch upon the skirts and tear them, and hence it has been the practice to supply ladies shoes with buttons or lacing-eyelets to the top.

The object of my invention is to provide a lacing-hook especially adapted to ladies shoes which shall overcome the above objections and permit the shoes to be laced or unlaced with great rapidity.

It is to be understood that while my invention is particularly adapted for ladies shoes it may nevertheless be .used upon mens and childrens shoes or other articles, such as bicycle boots and leggings.

In carrying out my invention I form a lacing-hook with an automatic pivoted jaw movably connected to the body and post in such a manner that the lace when drawn out closes the jaw down upon the body and when released a spring raises the jaw, so that it normally stands open or in position to quickly receive the lace. ably stamped out of sheet metal,so as to shield the post and bearing and constitute a light yet durable jaw. The parts when completed are so proportioned that the jaw closes down upon the body and thereby avoids presenting any outwardly-projecting parts upon which the skirts could catch. When these hooks are applied to a shoe, I prefer to so arrange them that the jaws shall stand at an angle to the line of the opening and be directed diagonally outward, but toward the toe. The objectof this is to bring the hooks in position to hooks with full force to close them and avoid The movable jaw is preferpermit the laces to be drawn across the the laces pressing abnormally upon the sides of the hook, which would tend to abnormally wear them and put excessive friction upon them before closing.

With buttons or jointed hooks as substitutes for them there is no way to adjust or shape the shoe to the foot, whereas with my improved lacing'hook the shoe may be drawn in to the requisite degree to make it snugly fit the wearer, imparting neatness as well as securing comfort to the wearer.

My invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shoe having my lacing-hooks applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of my improved lacing-hooks before being attached to the shoe. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of same. Fig. 4 is a similar view of same, showing the jaw closed. Fig. 5 is a plan view of one of the springs used to open the jaw before being applied to the hook. Fig. .6 is a plan View of the body and post as stamped into shape in process of manufacture; and Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation similar to Fig. 3, showing a modification.

A is the shoe.

B are the usual eyelets for the lower portion of the opening, and O are my improved hooks. As shown the jaws of these hooks are directed obliquely downward or toward the outside of the toe, as indicated by the dotted arrows. The result of that is to bring the opening of the hook pointing at right angles to the oblique section of the lace to the end that the pulling of the lace in applying it to the book will create a pressure directly upon the lower part of the hook or jaw to close it. This will be very clearly understood by reference to Fig. 1.

E is the body portion of the hook and is usually made circular with the raised rim e about its outer edge. The under portion of the body is forced down into the eyelet F, which is adapted to be inserted through the leather and upset or riveted upon the under side. The upper part of the body and to one side is provided with a post G of narrow width and bent or curved over toward the middle of the body and terminating in the journal or bearing pins 9. The jaw H is stamped up out of sheet metal and forms in effect a shield to the post. It is box-shaped, its sides fitting close to the sides of the post and guided thereby and journaled or hinged upon the pins y. Its sides are bent inward toward each other in front of the post G, as at I, to form a smooth surface against which the lace presses at a point below the pivot or hinge g. v The rear extensions of the sides of the jaw are extended, as at It, so as to form heel extensions to strike the body when the jaw is fully opened, as shown in Fig. 3, and thus limit the move ment of the jaw in opening.

K is a spring which extends across the top of the body under the surface I and is adapted to normally open the jaw by pressing upward upon it. This spring extends over the edge of the body, being received in a notch J, formed in the rim 6, which holds it inposition against lateral displacement, and is formed into a ring at its lower part, which encircles the eyelet. This spring may be secured to the body in any other suitable manner and, if desired, may be made integral with the body, as shown in Fig. 7. WVhen the lace, acting upon the surface I, draws down the nose of the jaw, it is received just inside of the rim 6, so that it is shielded thereby and offers no edge or projection upon which the garments or skirts may catch.

In the construction shown in Fig. 7 I have shown the spring K provided withs houlders L, which are adapted to hold the jaw open or closed after it has been moved to such positions; but for practical purposes I prefer to have the spring K so act as to always force the jaw open except when the lace is holding it closed, because in this case the hooks are in normal proper position to quickly receive the lace and no loss of time results in lacing the shoe.

The mere shape or configuration of the body part is immaterial to my invention. l-Ience while I prefer the construction shown the details may be modified without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. As a new article of manufacture, a laeing-hook consisting of a body part adapted for attachment to a shoe or garment and provided with an upwardly-extending post, in combination with a jaw of stamped sheet metal pivoted to and enveloping the upper and forward part of said post and presenting a nose which seats itself upon the body and having a shoulder or surface below the pivot to receive the lace and by which the hook is held closed.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a la-' cing-hook consisting of a body part adapted for attachment to a shoe or garment and provided with an upwardly-extending post, in combination with a jaw pivoted to and enveloping the upper and forward part of said post and presenting a nose which seats itself upon the body and having a shoulder or surface below the pivot surrounding the forward part of the post to receive the lace and by which the hook is held closed, and the lace held out of contact with the post and a spring held to the body and acting upon the shoulder or lower edge of the lace-receiving surface of the jaw to hold it normally in an open position.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a lacing-hook consisting of a body part adapted for attachment to a shoe or garment and provided with an upwardly-extending post, in

combination with a jaw of stamped sheet metal pivoted to the outer side of said post and presenting a nose which seats itself upon the body and having a shoulder or surface below the pivot formed by laterally-extended flanges directed toward each other in front of the post to receive the lace and by which the hook is held closed, and also clear of the post and a spring to hold the jaw normally open.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a lacing-hook consisting of a body part having an eyelet adapted for attachment to a shoe or garment and provided with an upwardly-extending post, in combination with a jaw pivoted to said post and presenting a nose which seats itself upon the body and having a shoulder or surface below the pivot to receive the lace and by which the hook is held closed, and a spring having a loop encircling the eyelet and a fiat extension arranged above the body part to hold the jaw normally open.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a lacing-hook consisting of a body part adapted for attachment to a shoe or garment and provided with an upwardly-extending post, in combination with ajaw formed of stamped sheet metal bent into box shape to fit over the post and pivoted to said post on the outside and further presenting a nose which seats itself upon the body and having a shoulder or surface formed by the sides being bent inward below the pivot to surround the forward part of the post and receive the lace and by which the hook is held closed and the lace held clear of the post.

6. As a new article of manufacture, a lacing-hook consisting of a body part adapted for attachment to a shoe or garment and provided with an upwardly-extending post, in combination with a jaw formed of stamped sheet metal bent into box shape to fit over the post and pivoted to said post and further presenting a nose which seats itself upon the body and having a shoulder orsurface formed by the sides being bent inward below the pivot to receive the lace and by which the hook is held closed, and a springto hold the jaw normally open.

7. A lacing-hook consisting of the body E having the annular rim 6 and post G, in combination with the sheet-metal jaw H having its sides bent down to inelose the post and pivoted thereto and also having said sides bent inward as at I to form a surface against which the lace presses, and a spring K carried by the body and pressing upward against the part I to hold the jaw open.

8. In alacing-hook, the combination of a body-post adapted for attachment to the garment or shoe having an upwardly-extending post, with a spring-actuated jaw extending around said post and pivoted thereto and hav: ing its nose adapted to press upon the body part when closed under the action of the shoelace.

9. In a lacing-hook, the combination of a body part adapted for attachment to the garment or shoe having an'upwardly-extending post, with a jaw extending around said post and pivoted thereto and having a surface below its pivot for receiving the lace and having its nose adapted to press upon the body part when closed under the action of the shoelace,

.and a spring to normally hold the jaw open or in a raised position.

10. In a lacing-hook, the combination of a body part having means for attachment to the shoe or garment and an upwardly-extending post formed with pivot-pins extending from each side, with abox-shaped stamped sheetmetal jaw extending over or embracing the post and clamped in a pivoted condition uponthe pins, and a spring to hold the jaw open.

11. In a lacing-hook, the combination of a body part adapted for attachment to the gar ment having an upright post, with a jaw formed of stamped metal enveloping and pivoted to the upper end of the post so as to shield it and having its sides extended downward to form shoulders to receive the lace at a point in front of the post and also rearward extensions to act upon the body part andlimit the upward movement of the jaw.

12. In a lacing-hook, the combination of a body part adapted for attachment to the garment having an upright post, with a jaw formed of stamped metal enveloping and pivoted to the upper end of the post so as to shield it and having its sides extended downward to form shoulders to receive the lace at a point in front of the post and also rearward extensions to act upon the body part and limit the upward movement of the jaw, and a spring carried by the body part acting upon the shoulders of the jaw to normally hold it in position.

13. As a new article of manufacture, a lacing-hook consisting of a body part adapted for attachment to a shoe or garment and provided with an upwardly-extending post, in combination with a jaw pivoted to said post and presenting a nose movable to and from the body portion and having a shoulder below the pivot and forward of the post to receive and support the lace when the hook is closed, and a spring carried by the body part with the forward portion permanently held at a distance from the pivot of the jaw to permit the lace to freely pass above it under the movable nose and in front of its shoulder the said spring constantly acting upon the pivoted jaw to cause it to normally open when the tension on the lace is relieved or removed.

14. As a new article of manufacture, a lacing-hook consisting of a body part adapted for attachment to a shoe or garment and provided with an upwardly-extending post, in combination with a jaw pivoted to said post and presenting a nose movable to and from the body portion and having a shoulder below the pivot and forward of the post to receive and support the lace when the hook is closed and having an extended portion acting in connection with the body portion to limit the possible opening of the jaw under the action of the spring, and a spring carried by the body part constantly acting upon the pivoted jaw to cause it to normally open when the tension on the lace is relieved or removed.

In testimony of which invention I hereunto set my hand.

LEWIS F. EARL.

Witnesses:

R. M. HUNTER, J. W. KENWORTHY. 

